diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/look_tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/look_tests.rs
index 17a2288d1..1f9275008 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/look_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/look_tests.rs
@@ -468,3 +468,31 @@ fn a_held_spinner_arrow_repeats() {
     frame(&ctx, 1.8, vec![], &mut add);
     assert_eq!(value.get(), 9.0, "letting go doesn't step once more");
 }
+
+/// The Kerning field reads `(10+5)` as 15 whether it shows a manual value (`12`) or an automatic
+/// one (`(12)`), and refuses `(10+5)*2` either way.
+#[test]
+fn kerning_reads_parentheses_around_its_text_with_a_manual_value_too() {
+    let typed = |automatic: bool, text: &str| {
+        let ctx = themed(Default::default());
+        let picked = std::cell::Cell::new(None);
+        let mut add = |ui: &mut Ui| {
+            ui.horizontal(|ui| {
+                if let Some(p) = spin_kerning(ui, "kern", Some(12.0), Some(automatic), Some(false), "Optical", automatic, 100.0, &[]) {
+                    picked.set(Some(p));
+                }
+            });
+        };
+        arm_field_focus(&ctx, "kern");
+        frame(&ctx, 0.0, vec![], &mut add);
+        frame(&ctx, 0.1, vec![], &mut add);
+        let enter = |pressed| egui::Event::Key { key: egui::Key::Enter, physical_key: None, pressed, repeat: false, modifiers: Default::default() };
+        frame(&ctx, 0.2, vec![egui::Event::Text(text.into()), enter(true), enter(false)], &mut add);
+        frame(&ctx, 0.3, vec![], &mut add);
+        picked.get()
+    };
+    for automatic in [false, true] {
+        assert_eq!(typed(automatic, "(10+5)"), Some(SpinPick::Value(15.0)), "automatic: {automatic}");
+        assert_eq!(typed(automatic, "(10+5)*2"), None, "automatic: {automatic}");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/numeric.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/numeric.rs
index 56ace75b8..847b3b0ea 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/numeric.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets/numeric.rs
@@ -433,9 +433,8 @@ pub fn mixed_field_named(
     bounded_field(ui, id, label, name, value, suffix, decimals, width, &ANY, None, false, false)
 }
 
-/// [`mixed_field`] whose ↑/↓, wheel and scrub stop at `bounds`; ↑/↓ and the wheel take `step`'s steps
-/// when it is given (see [`SliderValue::step`]). Armed with id salt `id` ([`arm_field_focus`]), it
-/// takes the keyboard focus with its value selected.
+/// [`bounded_field_reading`] that reads one pair of parentheses around its text only while it shows
+/// its value in parentheses.
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 fn bounded_field(
     ui: &mut Ui,
@@ -450,11 +449,34 @@ fn bounded_field(
     step: Option<fn(f64, f64) -> f64>,
     parentheses: bool,
     live: bool,
+) -> Option<f64> {
+    bounded_field_reading(ui, id, label, name, value, suffix, decimals, width, bounds, step, parentheses, parentheses, live)
+}
+
+/// [`mixed_field`] whose ↑/↓, wheel and scrub stop at `bounds`; ↑/↓ and the wheel take `step`'s steps
+/// when it is given (see [`SliderValue::step`]). Armed with id salt `id` ([`arm_field_focus`]), it
+/// takes the keyboard focus with its value selected. With `parentheses` it shows its value as
+/// `(12)`; with `read_parentheses` it reads typed text as [`field_number`] does with its Kerning flag.
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
+fn bounded_field_reading(
+    ui: &mut Ui,
+    id: impl std::hash::Hash,
+    label: Option<PreviousLabel>,
+    name: Option<&str>,
+    value: Option<f64>,
+    suffix: &str,
+    decimals: usize,
+    width: f32,
+    bounds: &RangeInclusive<f64>,
+    step: Option<fn(f64, f64) -> f64>,
+    parentheses: bool,
+    read_parentheses: bool,
+    live: bool,
 ) -> Option<f64> {
     let armed = take_armed_focus(ui, &id);
     let id = id_with(ui.scope_id(), id);
     let show = |value: f64| field_text(value, suffix, decimals);
-    let read = |buf: &str| field_number(buf, suffix, parentheses);
+    let read = |buf: &str| field_number(buf, suffix, read_parentheses);
     let shown = value.map(|v| if parentheses { format!("({})", show(v)) } else { show(v) }).unwrap_or_default();
     take_dialog_focus(ui, id, &shown);
     if armed {
@@ -677,7 +699,9 @@ pub fn spin_plain_named(
     .and_then(SpinPick::value)
 }
 
-/// Kerning's numeric field and automatic method choices.
+/// Kerning's numeric field and automatic method choices. With `parentheses` the field shows its
+/// value as `(12)`; typed text such as `(10+5)` reads with one pair of parentheses around it either
+/// way.
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 pub fn spin_kerning(
     ui: &mut Ui,
@@ -704,7 +728,7 @@ pub fn spin_kerning(
         presets,
         &[],
         &|v| format!("{v}"),
-        &mut |ui, fw, label| bounded_field(ui, id, label, None, value, "", 0, fw, &(-1000.0..=f64::INFINITY), None, parentheses, false),
+        &mut |ui, fw, label| bounded_field_reading(ui, id, label, None, value, "", 0, fw, &(-1000.0..=f64::INFINITY), None, parentheses, true, false),
     )
 }